The Queen sealed her heart and locked up her love, and the Emperor was trapped in the crematorium

At night, the Kunning Palace is brightly lit.

Xie Yaoqing took the initiative to mention the talent show.

Hearing this, Xiao Chengxu's face suddenly darkened. He slowly put down the book in his hand, and said with an elusive tone: "Does the Queen agree to the selection?"

Xie Yaoqing glanced at him strangely, her face full of confusion: "How dare I violate the rules set by our ancestors? Does it mean that if I don't agree, the emperor can go against the ancestral rules and stop selecting concubines?"

Not only did the Queen Mother keep an eye on the selection, but there must have been ministers in the previous dynasty who had advised Xiao Chengxu to participate in the selection. Xie Yaoqing absolutely did not believe that Xiao Chengxu was completely unaware of this.

Xiao Chengxu remained silent, as if he had suddenly realized that Xie Yaoqing could not choose to participate in the talent show just because she wanted to.

Not to mention Xie Yaoqing, even he himself would have to compromise.

Seeing this, Xie Yaoqing raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a cold and disdainful smile, and curled his lips lightly.

Even if she objected to the talent show, what could she do? After all, even Xiao Chengxu himself was ready to compromise, and the talent show was a foregone conclusion.

In this deep palace, even though she was the queen, not everything could go as she wished. And the man in front of her, as the king of a country, also had many frustrations and constraints.

Since the audition was confirmed, Xie Yaoqing has been busy non-stop.

The Queen Mother watched coldly at first, thinking that although Xie Yaoqing agreed so readily verbally, she might just be pretending, and she must be reluctant to see the selection go ahead.

So the Queen Mother waited for Xie Yaoqing to come and ask her for countermeasures.

In this deep and sea-like palace, who would sincerely be willing to lend a helping hand? Which concubine didn't envy the queen's exclusive favor and rack her brains to bring her down?

Only she, the Queen Mother, is the one who best understands the Queen's persistent pursuit of "one person for a lifetime". They sympathize with each other. Although the Queen is a little distant from her now, when encountering such a big thing, the Queen will definitely panic and be at a loss, and will be eager to seek a reliable ally to give her advice.

At the same time, the Queen Mother was also waiting to see the fun. A foolish Queen and an unfaithful Emperor would inevitably have another fierce conflict over the selection of concubines. It would be best if they could make the fight unmanageable, so that the Queen's bad reputation of being narrow-minded and jealous could be fully established.

Since the founding of the Great Ying, there have been too many dignified, virtuous, gentle and virtuous queens. They are all so perfect, and every move and every word conforms to the court etiquette and norms, impeccable. Occasionally, a different queen appears, which is quite interesting.

The Queen Mother had been waiting, but the reality disappointed her.

Kunning Palace was peaceful and calm, as if nothing had happened. She thought the queen, who would cause a big uproar, was fully committed to the preparations for the selection, and seemed to be very serious about making this selection a success.

The Queen Mother began to get restless.

Xie Yaoqing's performance was completely beyond her expectations, so the Queen Mother decided to personally summon Xie Yaoqing to see what she was planning.

Xie Yaoqing had actually guessed the Queen Mother's intentions long ago, but she still obeyed her order and went to the Cining Palace. After all, the Queen Mother was her elder and her mother-in-law. As a daughter-in-law, even if she was dissatisfied, she could not turn a deaf ear to her mother-in-law's summons. Otherwise, she might be accused of being unfilial at any time.

When Xie Yaoqing stepped into the Cining Palace, her face looked a little pale, but she still had a perfect smile on her face.

Facing the Queen Mother's inquiry, Xie Yaoqing replied calmly: "Mother, regarding the selection of concubines, I will do my best to ensure that everything goes smoothly. This is my responsibility."

The Queen Mother stared at her, trying to find a flaw in her expression. However, Xie Yaoqing remained calm and composed, so the Queen Mother could not find any flaws for a while.

Soon, the Queen Mother sighed softly, "It's hard for you, Queen. I know a little about the oath between you and the Emperor. In the end, it is the Emperor who has failed you and let you down."

Xie Yaoqing shook her head. "Mother, what you said is wrong. The emperor has his own difficulties. People in this world have many difficulties and may not always get what they want."

The Queen Mother choked suddenly.

For the first time ever, the queen actually put aside her temper and began to understand the emperor's difficulties.

It should be a good thing for the emperor and empress to understand and support each other, but the empress dowager was not happy about it.

We all understand each other's difficulties and hardships, so how can we sow discord between them?

"That being said, Queen, do you know how many noble families are eyeing the positions of concubines in the harem? You are also from a noble family. You should know that every young lady of the noble family who has been trained with the efforts of the family is both talented and beautiful, and has both virtue and good character. The emperor can ignore them for a while, but he may not always be bewitched by them."

"Once a man starts to change his mind, even nine oxen can't pull him back. At that time, it will be hard to say whether you can keep your position as the queen." The queen mother said earnestly.

Xie Yaoqing smiled and replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Mother, I understand your worries. But as the queen, I should set an example. If I keep getting jealous and making a fuss, I am afraid that the emperor will dislike me before the new bride even enters the palace."

When the empress dowager heard this, she was secretly surprised. She had never expected that the empress had become so virtuous. She was speechless for a moment.

She originally wanted to stir up the Queen's jealousy, create conflicts between her and the concubines, and cause enmity between the noble families and the Yongchang Marquis's Mansion. But now it seems that this plan is about to fail.

However, the Queen Mother did not intend to give up. She continued, "Queen, your kindness and tolerance are admirable, but sometimes being too weak can also make people take advantage of you. You must be careful of those who have ulterior motives and don't let them take advantage of you."

"At worst, Queen, you must first give birth to a legitimate son or daughter. Once you have children and your position as Queen is secure, you can arrange a beauty contest for the Emperor. By then, no matter how many new people enter the palace, your position will not be shaken."

The Queen Mother's sudden mention of offspring was like a sharp knife stabbing Xie Yaoqing's heart, causing her to feel a palpitation.

Xie Yaoqing suddenly raised his head and stared at the empress dowager with cold eyes.

"Matters concerning children are entirely up to God's will. If I fail to conceive a dragon offspring, will the palace no longer select new concubines? There are already quite a few concubines in the palace, so what's the harm in adding a few more?"

"Mother, since you have been so thoughtful for me, why not directly advise the Emperor to cancel the selection? I believe the Emperor is always filial and will definitely listen to what you want."

If you really have the ability, go find Xiao Chengxu. What's the point of looking for her? Xie Yaoqing sneered in his heart.

However, Xie Yaoqing knew that the Queen Mother would never go to Xiao Chengxu. The Queen Mother just wanted to use her to stir up trouble. As for using Xiao Chengxu... I'm afraid it would be difficult to succeed, or maybe she couldn't bear to do it out of consideration for the mother-son relationship.

The Queen Mother said angrily, "Queen, I have taken so much trouble to plan for you, but you don't appreciate it at all. So forget it! When a new concubine enters the palace and catches the emperor's eye and is favored, you will cry bitterly. Don't blame me for not reminding you then. Blame yourself for being too weak and incompetent now. You have brought all this upon yourself. You deserve it."

From the Queen Mother's words, it can be heard that she seemed to have foreseen the fate of Xie Yaoqing being abandoned by Xiao Chengxu. By then, Xie Yaoqing would be old and lose the favor of the king, and Xiao Chengxu would fall in love with other young and beautiful concubines. In the end, Xie Yaoqing could only stay alone in her empty room, depressed all day long, and became a sad woman in the deep palace.

However, Xie Yaoqing's tone was unusually calm. "If there really comes such a day, I am willing to bear it. However, if I cannot distinguish right from wrong and weigh the pros and cons at this moment, then this day will probably come sooner. After all, the emperor's tolerance and patience are limited. Even if there is more affection, it cannot withstand repeated wear and tear."

"Isn't that right, mother?"

The Queen Mother snorted coldly, "The Queen has her own decision, why are you asking me?"

In the end, they didn't reach an agreement and parted on bad terms.

After Xie Yaoqing left the Cining Palace, news spread that afternoon that the Empress Dowager was ill. By the time Xie Yaoqing heard it, it had become that the Empress Dowager was sick because of Xie Yaoqing.

The next day, Xie Yaoqing summoned the concubines in the harem.

"From now on, you will take turns to serve the Queen Mother according to your rank until she recovers. Imperial Concubine, Concubine Yi, the Queen Mother loves you two the most. The Queen Mother is ill, you must serve her wholeheartedly. If one day you fail to serve her and delay her recovery, causing the Queen Mother to be unable to recover for a long time, I will hold you responsible."

Concubine Qi and Concubine Yi were somewhat reluctant. Why did the other concubines take turns while they had to attend the emperor every day? However, they had no excuse to refuse and could only agree. Besides, if the empress dowager thought that they were lazy and did not attend the emperor, it would be harmful rather than beneficial if she displeased them.

For the sake of reputation, Xie Yaoqing would go to the Cining Palace every day to show her daughter-in-law's filial piety. Of course, Xie Yaoqing would not stay in the Cining Palace for long each time. After all, she still had political affairs to take care of, and all matters related to the selection were waiting for her to make a decision. She didn't have so much free time. It was not easy to squeeze out time to visit the empress dowager in the Cining Palace every day. What's more, even without Xie Yaoqing, she had arranged so many concubines to take care of the empress dowager. Concubine Qi and Concubine Yi took care of the empress dowager every day, and they were quite concerned about the empress dowager.